Geographical boundaries of the Olifants Estuary

QUANTIFICATION OF ESTUARINE ECOLOGICAL RESERVE

RECOMMENDED ECOLOGICAL FLOW REQUIREMENT

The Olifants Estuary has been targeted as a Desired Protected Area (DWAF, 2004).  According to the guidelines for assigning a recommended REC the estuary, therefore needs to be in a Category A or the Best Attainable State (BAS). However, with large dam developments already existing in the catchment (e.g Clanwilliam Dam) it will be difficult to improve the Olifants Estuary to a Category A. It is therefore recommended that the Olifants Estuary be improved to the minimum REC for a 'Highly Important estuary', namely a Category B. Scenario 2, i.e. the Present inflow scenario plus the Ecological Water Requirement releases of the River (MAR= 800.3 X 106 M3) is selected as the recommended Ecological Flow Requirement Scenario for the Olifants Estuary.  The flow distributions are summarised below:

ECOLOGICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Ecological Specifications are clear and measurable specifications of ecological attributes (in the case of estuaries - hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics, water quality and different biotic components) that define a specific ecological reserve category, in the case of the Olifants Estuary for a Category B.  Thresholds of potential concern (TPC) are defined as measurable end points related to specific abiotic or biotic indicators that if reached (or when modelling predicts that such points will be reached) prompts management action.